Article-slicing device



@ct. 3Q; 1923, 11 4722119 0. N. HOFFMAN 7 ARTICLE smcm'e DEVICE Filed March '24, 1923 A TTOH/UEVS Patented Qct. 30, 1923.

I was OTTO N. HOFFMAN, 0F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

ARTICLE-SLICING DEVICE.

Application filed March 24., 1923. Serial No. 627,469.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, O'r'ro N. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Lnprovements in Article- Slicing Devices, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for use in slicing a loaf of bread or like article, and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which affords facilities whereby, when an ordinary hand-knife is used, a loaf of bread or like article may be cut into slices of uniform thickness. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described which embodies means adapted to be adjusted to vary the thickness of the slices into which an article will be cut and which also includes means for guiding articles of various sizes into position to be cut into slices of any desired thickness.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is extremely simple in construction, adapted to be thoroughly and easily cleaned, thoroughly sanitary and economical to manufacture. 1

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Figure 1 is a perspective view of an article slicing device embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a top plan view of the'slicing device, and

Figure 3 is an end view of the slicing device.

In carrying out my invention, I provide.

a flat base lwhieh is substantially rectangular in form, preferably being rounded at one of its ends, as indicated at 2. The base 1 is provided with notches 3 and 4 respectively in its longitudinal sideedges at corresponding points along the length of the latter, the notches being located somewhat nearer to the second end of the base than to the rounded end thereof.

An upright frame 5 of elongated U-shape has one arm thereof bent laterally to provide an end portion 7 which extends at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the frame toward the second arm of the latter and is of sufficient length to span the space between the arms of the frame and to terminate at its free end in abutting relation to the inner face of the second arm of the frame. The second arm of the frame is considerably longer than the first arm and is bent at 8 to extend at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the frame in underly ing relation to the end portion 7 and to e tend beyond the plane of the outer face of the first arm of the frame a distance equal to the distance between the inner wall notch 4 and the opposite longitudinal edge of the base, the laterally extending portion of the second arm of the frame being designated 9 and being shown as having an upturned end portion 10.

The upright frame 5 is arranged to 8X tend vertically from the notch 4 and the laterally extending portion 9 of second arm of the frame is arranged to extend transversely of the base 1 countersunk in underlying relation thereto so that the upturned end portion 10 engages the inner wall of the notch '3. The upright frame 5 may be fixedly secured to the base 1 by means of a screw 11 or like fastening element extending through the portion 9 into the base 1. The laterally extending portion 7 of one arm of the frame may be secured to the underlying laterally extending portion of the second arm of the frame by a bolt 12 or the like so that the arms of the upright frame are held against movement relatively to each other.

The upright frame 5 is bifurcated by a vertical slot 13 extending longitudinally of the frame from the upper end thereof in the arms of the frame to the plane of the upper face of the base 1. The slot 13 is of a width sufficient to receive the blade of a. knife 14 and to permit free sliding movement of the blade vertically without permitting any appreciable lateral movement of the blade.

y invention provides a stop which is adjustably secured to the base 1 and is adapted to cooperate with the guide frame 5 to retain a loaf of bread or like article not shown. placed on the base 1 in such position that slices of uniform and any desired thickness may be cut from the loaf or other article.

of the The stop included in the embodiment of the invention illustrated comprises an attachlng portlon 16 which is angular 1n cross sectional contour and is adapted to slidably engage one upper edge portion of the base 1 so that the longitudinally slotted horizontal side of the attaching portion is superimposed upon the upper face of the'base. An upright stud 1'7 carried by the base extends through the longitudinal slot 18 in the upper side of t )8 attaching portion and is threadedly engaged by a winged nut lt) which can be adjusted to clamp the attaching portion to the base at various points along the length of the base, the range of adjustment being limited only by the length of the attaching portion and of the slot 18. The attaching portion 16 is integral with a bar which extends upwardly and inwardly from the inner end of the upper side of the attaching portion for a slight distance, as indicated at 20, then forwardly and inwardly in a horizontal plane as indicated at 21, then laterally or transversely of the base 1 as indicated at 22 and finally downwardly at 23 to terminate at its free end in sliding engagement with the upper face, of the base. The portion 22 of the stop is disposed in parallel relation to the plane of the slot 13 and therefore in parallel relation to the plane in which the bladeof the knife let will travel when being moved edgewise downwardly from a level above the upper face of the base 1 in sliding engagement with the slot 13 to the plane of the upper face of the base. It thus will be apparent that the thickness of the shoes which will be severed from the loaf or like article when the latter is disposed upon the base 1 wit-h one end thereof against the portion 22 of the stop, will be determined by the distance between the proximate edge of the, portion 22 of the stop and the plane of the slot 13. This distance may be varied by moving the stop longitudinally of the base within the limits set by the ends oft-he slot 18 in the attaching portion of the stop.

My invention also provides means for guiding a loaf of bread or like article out of contact with one side of the frame 5 and into abutting relation to the stop portion 22 and for holding a loaf of bread against lateral movement in one direction on the base 1 so that the longitudinal axis of the loaf will lie in a vertical plane parallel to the vertical planeof the longitudinal axis of the base 1 and consequently the slices cut from the loaf will be uniform in thickness throughout their area. The guide just men-- ous points along its length and being adapted to engage with the adjacent upper side edge portion of the base and to be secured to the latter by screws 26 or the like.

:Fl'Olll the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, thereof may be readilyunderstood. The device is designed for use in slicing loaves of bread, heads of cabbage and various other articles which are adapted to be placed upon the base and moved thereon into abutting relation to the stop 22. Itwill'be apparent that the device is eifective for the purpose intended and that a knife of ordinary con struction can be used therewith to cut slices of uniform and desired thickness fromar' ticles of various sizes. The device is thoroughly sanitary since all parts thereof can be thoroughly cleaned without difiiculty.

embodiment in forms other than that illustrated in the accompanying drawings and I} therefore consider as my own all modifications and adaptationsof the form of the device herein disclosed which fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

A device of the character described comprising an elongated flat base having notches in opposite longitudinal edges thereof at corresponding points along the length thereof, a guide frame extending upwardly from the notch in one longitudinal edge of the base and having an attaching portion extending transversely of thebase in underly-- ing relation thereto and engaging with'the opposite notch in the other longitudinal edge of the base, said guide framehaving a vertical slot therein extending from its upper the operation end to the plane of the upper face of the 7 

